Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #01252
To: beam@corp.sgi.com
From: "Paul B. Webster VK2BZC" pwebster@clinipath.com.au
Date: Thu, 04 Mar 1999 17:59:47 +1000
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Trimmable solar cells (?)
Bumper314@aol.com wrote:
> Wow, so what if you buy a calculator cell in half, does that half that
> current of half the voltage?
Whoa! No way! The calculator "cells" are not cells, they're
batteries. Don't even think of cutting them in half!
Actually, if you managed to cut one *exactly* down the middle, the
long way, you would have the same voltage but half the current from each
because each half would have the same number of cells. You *can't*
cut them the other way because you would have nowhere to connect to the
ends.
If you take a "stack"-type battery you can separate parts of the stack
and re-connect them with *great* care, but it's usually folly to
interfere with a ready-made assembly.
> Same for the Panasonic cells from Solarbotics?
I think these are batteries - I really would not recommend fiddling.
Single cells with solderable connections can be trimmed if really
necessary (but perhaps you might try one of those "broken bits" packs
rather than muck about with a good one).
Once you make a series chain of cells (battery) this way, the chain is
(current-wise) only as good as the smallest cell, so you want to make
them all of similar area. It's not critical, but the smallest will
define the current you get, that's all.
--
Cheers,
Paul B.
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